by Chelsea Girl on August 22, 2012
I feel like I’m forever changing gyms but so far I haven’t found a gym that I’ve wanted to stick with, perhaps until now. For the last year, I have been a member of Virgin Chelsea and whilst it is literally four minutes from my door I have felt somewhat restless about moving, since returning from my Easter holiday.
The main reason is the swimming pool. Even though it’s a lovely pool and great to stretch your muscles in, I have been wanting something a bit longer for a while. That’s what happens when you spend every day for two weeks, swimming off a tropical island in The Philippines I guess!
Another reason is that the classes can get very busy, which means you have to be there super early to snag yourself a token. There are a few other reasons but I’m not going to bore you with a list. The point is that I’ve switched gyms and I feel so much better for it. I’ve moved to Virgin’s Kensington Club which apparently a few Chelsea folks tend to do – and I love it there.
The swimming pool is not only longer but it also has a spa vibe with loungers and a fabulous jacuzzi with jet streams to pummel your back after a hard day. There are heated recliners to relax on and generally, the gym is much bigger. Oh, and the changing rooms are very nice indeed.
The Kensington Club is also undergoing a bit of a refurb at the moment, which is due to take a couple of months. But once it is finished, there will be anti-gravity yoga and the spin studio will have surrounding images to visually take you outside.
Finally, the added bonus is that I can still visit Virgin Chelsea if I want to. I did this lunchtime because I love their Wednesday lunchtime spin class. In fact, with a Virgin Kensington card you can use most of the other Virgin gyms anytime you want and that includes the Chiswick Racquet Club which has an outdoor pool and plenty of tennis courts.
So as you can imagine, I’m very excited to have the best of a few worlds right now: the convenience of something on my doorstep when I need it and somewhere to escape to, which is only a short bike ride away.
I have a feeling that I don’t have to move gyms for a while now. Whoop!
by Chelsea Girl on August 21, 2012
I love shiny things and I especially love ‘The Claudia’ bag, which one of my lunch dates had carried into Yumenoki with her last week.
This limited edition Strenesse bag has been designed to celebrate 25 years of Claudia Sebire’s Chelsea luxury boutique. ‘The Claudia’ bag also highlights a great partnership of 25 years between Claudia Sebire and Strenesse.
It is made from patent leather with a pony ‘cavallino’ skin detailing and is available in Claudia’s Autumn/Winter 2012 collection. Don’t you love it too?
by Chelsea Girl on August 20, 2012
If you follow me on Twitter, you would have seen that yesterday I was on my bike for most of the day. I was out and about at 8am, cycling to Richmond Park where I trained for my London to Brighton cycle ride which is taking place next week – and later in the afternoon, I cycled through Kensington Gardens, along Notting Hill and through Holland Park. I couldn’t get enough of my bike. The weather was just too gorgeous!
But this also meant that my body was craving carbs by early evening and I felt like having a large pizza, preferably al fresco because of the lovely evening. The first al fresco Italian that springs to mind is normally Made In Italy on the King’s Road. But there is another Made In Italy in Chelsea, located on Hollywood Road which has a back garden – and that’s where I headed to.
We sat outside where I ordered a glass of Prosecco and the bf ordered a beer.
As for the pizza, I ordered a Fra Rosario with mozzarella, tomato sauce, roasted potatoes (told you I needed carbs!), sausage, onion, capers and rosemary whilst the bf ordered a Porcini e Speck: ham and mushroom.
And we had it all! Though, I did give my crust away.
I love this corner of the world. In fact, Hollywood Road is easily one of my favourite streets in Chelsea where you also have The Hollywood Arms, Brinkley’s and now The Chelsea Day Spa!
by Chelsea Girl on August 17, 2012
So the word is finally out, one of the orginal team behind Public is bringing DUKEBOX to Chelsea in September 2012!
DUKEBOX, which will hold about 250 people, will aesthetically juxtapose a New York warehouse-style interior with eccentric theatrical touches featuring a series of nods to fantastical, and idiosyncratically British design.
The overall effect will invoke a grown-up’s playground, celebrating the elements of fun and surprise with nostalgic details prominent throughout, including carousel horses, a roundabout podium, caged jack-in-the-boxes, booths in the guise of Waltzer cars, a giant duck-on-a-spring and private dance floor caves.
The name, inspired by recollections of unimpeded childhood fun, is reminiscent of both the 17th century nursery rhyme “The Grand Old Duke of York” and a jack-in-the-box toy, whose surprise is featured following music. Other influences and reference points include The Magic Roundabout – in particular the character Zebedee, a jack-in-the-box, who operated as a kind of master of ceremonies within the surreal land created by Serge Danot.
DUKEBOX staff will be distinctive in 18th century style military coats, whilst sharing cocktails include the “Egg and Soldier” – a giant egg cup painted with a soldier, which opens to reveal a vodka-based cocktail for six to ten people. The drink will have its own soundtrack, and be delivered to the table by marching soldiers carrying sparklers. “The Present”, an oversized, brightly painted gift box containing a cocktail for six to ten people, will be wrapped in a big bow and served with a confetti bomb.
DUKEBOX will be open until 2.30am Thursdays to Saturdays and will be located at 266 Fulham Road, Chelsea, London, SW10 9EL.
See you there! x
by Chelsea Girl on August 16, 2012
Walking with the Wounded will be taking part and fundraising at this year’s Chelsea AutoLegends. You may remember me writing about this charity which supports the re-training and re-education of servicemen and women in my post on this year’s Polo in the Park.
Walking with the Wounded, who with Prince Harry accomplished a North Pole expedition, will be standing alongside The Polar 4×4 car which attempted the fastest drive across the South Pole in June of this year.
The Polar 4×4 isn’t your average car of course. It was designed to break through ice and withstand the treacherous conditions of the South Pole.
It has been a secret ambition of mine to visit the South Pole for a very long time and I’m completely jealous each time one of the bf’s friends heads off on yet another expedition to Antarctica. I know the conditions wouldn’t be easy but can you imagine?
Walking with the Wounded will be speaking at the prestigious Chelsea AutoLegends dinner on Saturday 1st September and will also be fundraising at the motorsport festival in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea on Sunday 2nd September. So if you’re dropping by, please do stop and say hello to the fellas. They’re really lovely guys.
And if you haven’t bought your ticket for Chelsea AutoLegends yet, here is their website where you can do so. Maybe see you there!
by Chelsea Girl on August 15, 2012
I popped into Proud Chelsea last week to take a look at their latest exhibition: Marilyn: Intimate Exposures Photographs by Bruno Bernard.
On the walls I discovered photos I had never seen before and being a huge Marilyn Monroe fan, this felt very exciting. My favourite photograph was of Marilyn as a young woman still with her red hair, crouching down as she bandaged a dog’s injured paw. This image pretty much summed up the exhibition for me. It displayed the human nature beyond the glamour of this Hollywood star.
In every photograph Marilyn Monroe looks impeccable. Yet, the photos also allow us a chance to feel like we are getting to know her all over again. This is a beautiful exhibition and as it proves, 50 years after Marilyn Monroe’s death, true beauty never fades.
Marilyn Monroe, Circa 1952, classic Pin-up photo © Bruno Bernard / courtesy of ‘Marilyn: Intimate Exposures’ by Susan Bernard
Marilyn: Intimate Exposures Photographs by Bruno Bernard, Proud Chelsea, 1st August – 9th September 2012, www.proud.co.uk
